An extensive array of AV technology has been deployed at a German university by integrator ICT AG to create what is described as one of the most technically sophisticated academic VFX labs in Europe. Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences (HSHL), 75km east of Dortmund, has converted a warehouse into a virtual production facility built around INFiLED LED walls, Brompton Tessera processors, AV Stumpfl PIXERA media servers, Vicon motion capture, ARRI cinema cameras, KinoFlo ceiling lighting and a Dolby Atmos 10.4.2 audio system.
The main virtual production stage centres on a 19m x 4m curved INFiLED LED wall combining DB and Xmk2 series panels, with a 1.56mm pixel pitch and a refresh rate of up to 7,680Hz. Ten Brompton Tessera SX40 processors handle image processing, with 19 XD data distribution units managing cabling. Brompton’s Dynamic Calibration technology achieves uniform colour across the combined panel types, while the ShutterSync feature synchronises pixel refresh to camera frame rates to eliminate scan lines and colour artefacts.
AV Stumpfl’s PIXERA software coordinates real-time playback and synchronisation across all LED elements, integrating with Unreal Engine 5 for virtual environments. A 3m x 3m mobile kinetic wall, designed and built by ICT AG’s mechanical engineering division with NovaStar processing, can tilt up to 60 degrees and reposition a two-tonne LED array over large objects including vehicles.
The 18-camera Vicon motion tracking system is capable of tracking up to ten points per finger, while the entire installation runs across 40km of fibre-optic cabling with Genlock, Timecode and Dante integration for frame-accurate synchronisation. INFiLED’s ColdLED technology reduces panel surface temperatures to around 35 degrees – compared with around 75 degrees for conventional LED – reducing demand on air conditioning, and the lab connects to HSHL’s photovoltaic array via an ICT AG energy monitoring system.
Stefan Albertz, professor of 3D animation and visual effects at HSHL, said: “The VFX Laboratory is a state-of-the-art system in every respect. We are extremely satisfied with the outcome and are delighted that the laboratory enables us to offer students high-quality teaching across a wide range of technologies and practical applications.”
You can subscribe to Installation magazine for free here and the daily newsletter here.
